


It's time

by Aeris444



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2018-01-07 18:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeris444/pseuds/Aeris444
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Merlin saw the old man, sitting in the corner of the pub, he didn’t really pay any attention to him. He was a customer amongst other, someone he forgot about almost immediately.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's time

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the lovely [](http://derenai.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://derenai.livejournal.com/)**derenai** for the beta. English isn't our first language so if you spot remaining mistakes, just let me know!

  
The first time Merlin saw the old man, sitting in the corner of the pub, he didn’t really pay any attention to him. He was a customer amongst other, someone he forgot about almost immediately.

It took Merlin weeks to notice him again. He seemed to be sitting at the same table every Friday. Always drinking a beer, always alone.

It wasn’t really strange. Old lonely men often came to this pub to drink and forget about their poor lives.

As Merlin came nearly every Friday to the pub, he started to look for the old man. Sometimes, Merlin was with friends, sometimes with a boyfriend or alone but he always looked in the corner of the pub and the old man was there. Some nights, they even exchanged smiles but it never went further than that.

Until, one day, as Merlin was at the bar ordering drinks for his friends and him, the old man passed behind him and murmured: “The time will come.”

“What?”

The old man was already going away and he didn’t answered. Merlin sighed. Probably one of these fools that thought the end of the world was coming soon. He took the drinks and went back to his friends, forgetting about the strange old man.

***

Two weeks later, Merlin was alone at the pub. None of his friends could have make it tonight. So he sat at a little table and ordered a whisky. Tonight, he wanted to forget.

Loneliness has been a consistent pattern in Merlin very long life. He had always managed to make friends but as time didn’t let any marks on him, he had never been able to stay for a long time with them… He had never been an important part of someone’s life. He had never been someone’s priority. Not since Arthur’s.

Merlin had grew accustomed to these feelings. They were part of him. But sometimes, it was too much and he needed to forget, if only for a short time. He had tried everything from plants to opium and other drugs. Nothing had worked for more than a few hours. It was the only respite he was allowed.

And tonight, he needed that more than anything. He drank a second and then a third whisky. It wasn’t enough but he already felt more relaxed.

That’s when the old man came to sit in front of him.

“Goodnight, young man.”

Something was strangely familiar in the old man’s voice but Merlin has already drank too much to care.

“’night…”

“I need you to know the time is coming.”

“Mmm… I don’t believe in these… you know… End of the world and other bullshit…. No offense… But…”

The old man didn’t seem offended, he just kept looking at Merlin.

“So, I take you don’t remember me, then?”

“Do I know you?”

“I suppose we can say so… But we met a long time ago… And I was quite different back then.”

“Oh…”

Merlin was trying to process these information but the whisky as already fogged his mind.

“Sorry,” was all he managed to say.

“No need to be sorry… I’m just here to tell you the time will come soon.”

“Hmm… Yeah… Okay.”

“Now, I’ll let you drink in peace.”

And with that, the old man stood up and exited the pub.

Merlin stayed there, still unable to understand what had just happened. So, he decided to drink a little more and forget about that, too.

***

The next week, Merlin came to the pub with Tom. They'd met at work where Tom was a trainee for the IT department and had helped Merlin with his computer during the past weeks.

Even having known the start of the computer science’s development, Merlin had never been comfortable with these technologies. And his magic wasn’t really helping, creating interferences with every electrical device.

Therefore, Tom had spent an awful lot of time in Merlin’s office, trying to fix all the bugs and failures. During that time, they talked a lot and Merlin had found Tom very interesting and cute, too. He reminded him of Percival with his big arms and gentle smile.

It was not the first time Merlin had encountered someone that reminded him of one of his old friends. At first, he had thought that his friends, the Knights, Gwen, Gaius, even Morgana would come back, too. But he had soon learned that they weren’t meant to and that it was perfectly normal to meet new people that reminded you of someone else.

Tom had agreed enthusiastically to Merlin’s offer of a pint after work and so they were at Merlin’s favourite pub, drinking and talking.

Merlin noticed the old man was still there and was looking at him. He smiled but the man remained impassive. Merlin decided not to insist and looked back at Tom. He wanted to enjoy his company tonight.

At the end of the evening, Merlin didn’t invite Tom to his flat but he knew he would do it the next time.

***

Merlin didn’t sleet well that week. It was always like that when he was thinking about starting a new relationship. He couldn’t help but hesitate and think about Arthur.

It was strange how vivid Arthur’s memory was when all the others’ seemed blurred. After all these years, Merlin was still able to perfectly picture his face, to hear the tone of his voice, to feel the softness of his skin, to imagine his smile. He was still feeling the weight of Arthur’s body when the King had died in this arms. He was still seeing the acceptance and love in his gaze just before that moment. And it was that memory that always made Merlin hesitant.

But he couldn’t wait all alone, sometimes his need for some company was stronger than his hesitations.

Tom really seemed to be a nice guy and Merlin felt good with him. He would be a great company for some time. If everything went well between them, Merlin would stay for some years. As long as possible.  
And then, he would have to leave him. As usual.

He had grew accustomed to this. He had to leave a lot of people he had loved behind but none of these separations had been as hard as loosing Arthur. So, in the end, it was worth it.

When Friday came, Merlin was decided to take things to another level with Tom. He craved for someone to share a little part of his life, he wanted to feel loved and protected, even if only for a short time.

As soon as he entered the pub, Merlin looked for Tom but the man was nowhere to be seen. It was still early, though. By reflex, Merlin looked in the corner to spot the old man but his usual seat was empty.  
So, he decided to sit at the bar and wait for Tom.

A few minutes later, Merlin saw him entering the pub. They exchanged a smile and Merlin joined his companion to sit in a secluded corner.

***

Merlin woke up, curled against a warm body, a strong arm draped around him. He felt protected and safe. He relaxed, closed his eyes and decided to sleep a little more. During the last months, he had missed Arthur a lot. It was cyclic… For some time he coped quite well with the absence till he missed Arthur so much he ached all over.

Merlin felt better now, though, cradled in Tom’s arms. And he wouldn’t let the memories waste this moment. Slowly he stroked Tom’s forearm, intertwining their fingers before closing his eyes. It was still early.

He could do with a little more sleep.

***  
Enjoying the debut of his relationship with Tom, Merlin didn’t go to the pub the next weeks. They went to cinema, Tom invited him to his favourite Italian restaurant, they went clubbing, they spend the evening in bed, cuddling and making love.

But nearly two months after they started dating, some friends of Merlin invited him over to the pub. He accepted and brought Tom with him. It was a great opportunity to introduce him to his friends.

Even if Merlin had been a little worried at first, everything went really well in the end. Tom went along with Merlin’s other friend and they spent a great evening all together.

But as Tom and Merlin were waiting for a cab outside the pub, Merlin felt a hand on his arms. He turned to face the strange man from the pub.

“Oh! It’s you! How are you?”

“As good as an old man like me can be… And you, young man? I see you seem quite happy.”

“I am, indeed,” Merlin answered with a smile towards Tom.

“But are you sure it’s the true happiness? The one you’ve been seeking for for years?”

“I don’t understand… “ Merlin looked at Tom who seemed as lost as him.

“Then, perhaps are you not ready yet… It’s a pity, young man… You can’t deny what makes you whole…”

A shiver ran down Merlin’s spine when he heard this word. It was like they were meant to make sense to him but they didn’t.

“I… Why are you telling me this?”

“It’s you that need to find this answer…”

And the man slowly walked away, leaving Merlin and Tom gaping in the silence.

***

The old man’s words haunted Merlin for days. He couldn’t help but think that he was missing something there.

For days, he thought about it so much he had trouble sleeping. Of course, Tom noticed something was amiss and asked Merlin about what was bothering him. Merlin lied, told him he was just feeling a little unwell.

But, on Friday morning, when Merlin woke up, everything finally made sense. Images from his dreams were still floating behind his eyelids. Camelot.The Great Dragon and his enigmatic clue. _A half cannot truly hates what makes him whole_.

It was too much for being just a coincidence.

During all the day, Merlin wanted nothing more than going to the pub on the evening. He needed to confront the old man… Kilgharrah.

But when the time came and Merlin went to the pub, he found the seat in the corner empty. Disappointment overwhelmed him. What if Kilgharrah had had something important to tell him? What if he was too late?

Merlin asked for a beer and decided to wait. He remembered all his conversations with the old man. _The time is coming_ … What time? Merlin had thought about it and he had an idea what it could be about but he didn’t want to think about it too much. What if it wasn’t that? He didn’t want to be disappointed. But if Kilgharrah had come back, it must have been for an important reason.

Merlin stayed at the pub till the closing time and Kilgharrah never came.

***

For the next week, Merlin went to the pub every night. He lied to Tom, always finding a reason to decline his invitation. He knew he was jeopardizing their relationship, but the simple hope that Kilgharrah's come-back had something to do with Arthur was enough for Merlin to take this risk.

Each day, he waited till the closing time but Kilgharrah never came.  It went on like that for another week before Tom asked him if he was seeing someone else.Merlin hesitated before answering. It was enough for Tom to leave his flat without a look back.

***

The next day, as Merlin was about to leave for the pub, someone knocked at his door. Merlin thought it was probably Tom coming back to take his things. He opened the door to find himself facing Kilgharrah.

“You!” Merlin shouted, “Stupid… Useless… Dragon!”

“I see you remember me then, Merlin.”

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were before?” Merlin asked, still clearly angry.

“Because I was there to see if you were ready.You didn’t need to know who I was then.”

“I don’t understand.”

Merlin’s anger was giving way to exhaustion.

“I have a lot of thing to tell you. Are we going to do this here?”

Merlin went back inside, nodding for Kilgharrah to follow him. They sat on the couch. Merlin kept his eyes fixed on the floor. He was still angry… It was like Kilgharrah had been playing with him. And he  
couldn’t fathom why.

“I’ve been send back to warn you, Merlin. But I didn’t know where you were. I had to search for you.”

“Search? Couldn’t you just use your powers? You still have powers haven’t you?”

“I’m not as strong as I have been… I only felt your Dragonlord powers when I was already in the area. I was a fool not starting my researches here… I should have known you wouldn’t have gone far away  
from him…”

“I’ve traveled a lot… but I always came back here… In case he would…” Merlin admitted, finally calming down.

“I understand… And I’m glad you’re here at the moment… I wasn’t looking forward travelling around the world to bring you back here in time.”

Silence settled between them. They both knew what Merlin wasn’t going to ask.

“So, he’s really coming back?”

Merlin had thought about that moment so many times, he wasn’t able to believe it was really going to happen.

“Yes… Not tonight, though… Probably in a day or two but don’t worry, you’ll feel it.”

Merlin nodded. Of course, he would feel it. It was something that, during all these centuries, he had always been convinced of. He was going to feel it when Arthur would come back. It wasn’t possible otherwise.

“So? What’s going to happen now?”

“That, I’m not aware of. My only mission was to find you and tell you Arthur Pendragon is coming back. After that, it’s up to you to find your path in life… The path both of you are going to follow.”

“So… We’re really two sides of the same coin?” Merlin added with a faint smile.

Kilgharrah laughed, the same rocky laugh that Merlin had heard so many times.

***

The morning after Kilgharrah’s visit, Merlin sent his letter of resignation. He had some savings and till Arthur was back he would probably be crap at whatever job he was doing.

After some hesitation, he also send a mail to Tom. He wanted to apologize for the way he had treated him. He just explained that he shouldn’t have acted like he did and that the time was not right for him to commit himself.

Then, Merlin packed a suitcase. He wasn’t living far away from Avalon but he wanted to be closer to the island when Arthur would come back. He found a small hotel near the lake on Internet and booked a room for the next week. He took his laptop and some history books with him. Arthur would have some catching up to do.

He took the train the next day, feeling freer than he had been in fifteen centuries.

***

The hotel was small and old-fashioned but the owner was nice. She talked to Merlin on the first evening, asking about his trip but never pressing him to talk more than he wanted.

Merlin decided to spend his days outside, walking in the countryside but never going too far away. On the evening, he prepared files with all the informations Arthur would need about the modern world.

Three days passed like that, Merlin growing more and more impatient.

***

When he woke up on the morning of the fourth day, rain was pouring outside. The sky was nearly black, the clouds low. Merlin stayed a long time, looking through his room’s window. He always felt strangely calm when the elements were unleashed. It was probably because of his magic, resonating with the forces of nature.

But suddenly, Merlin felt a surge of energy deep inside. His magic was awakening. For years now he had tamed it, silenced it till it was just a gentle buzzing, barely noticeable.

Now, it was growling, stretching, inflating… And Merlin knew.

He took his coat and ran outside. He didn’t hear the owner asking him if he was alright. He kept running, the rain was drenching him but he didn’t care.

Finally, the lake appeared in the distance. Merlin’s magic was getting harder to control. He felt sparks of it flying away.

When he reached the shore, he fell on his knees, breathless. Arthur wasn’t there but Merlin didn’t panic. His magic couldn’t be wrong. He felt it trying to reach something in the lake and he understood that it was probably trying to help Arthur out of the streams so Merlin let it break free.

He felt a surge of energy reaching for the deep of the waters, he felt it search and move around till it finally settled on something. Merlin held his breath. He had to maintain the link.

Slowly, he felt his magic coming back, moving to the surface.

Bubbles appeared on the water. Merlin managed to stand up and walk towards it. He was walked through knee-high water stopping a few steps away from the seething.

His magic was more powerful than he had felt in centuries as if it had finally found what it was made for.

Thunder rumbled and Merlin finally saw a shadow under the surface. It took him a few seconds to reach it and help Arthur out of the water.

He was naked and his eyes were closed but he was exactly like in Merlin’s memory. Merlin was frozen. He knew he should move, get them out of the lake, warm Arthur up and try to wake him but there were  
so many emotions battling in his mind. He felt relief, tiredness, love, fear, all mixed up together.

“Mer…”

“Arthur?”

Merlin watched his King closely. His eyelids were trembling. He was waking up. Merlin held him closer.

“Merlin.”

It wasn’t more than a whisper but it was the most beautiful sound Merlin had never heard.

“I’m here, Arthur. I’m here, I’m not leaving you. Not this time.”

Arthur nodded weakly. Merlin held his head and gently put a kiss on his forehead. It was a demonstration of affection he had never dared do in their past life together but he hoped things will be different  
this time.

Arthur lifted his arm and his hand came to cradle Merlin’s neck.

“I’ll not let you go, this time.” Arthur said. “I will not let anything tear us apart.”

Merlin smiled. Arthur hand drew him closer and he closed his eyes as Arthur’s lips covered his.

***  
Months had passed before Merlin walked in the pub again. Arthur was at his side, holding his hand a little too hard like every time then went in a public place.

Arthur had got used to the modern world quite easily but the crowded place always made him jumpy.

Merlin looked around and spotted Kilgharrah in the corner.

He hadn’t been sure he would find him there. His mission was accomplished after all. He had hoped to see him again, though. He needed to thank him.

“Where is he?” Arthur asked.

“In the corner. Come.”

Merlin guided Arthur there and they sat in front of the old man.

“It seems you’ve finally found what makes you whole,” Kilgharrah said, a bright smile illuminating his face.

“Yes, we have,” Merlin confirmed, sharing a loving gaze with Arthur. “Thank you.”


End file.
